Baby Boom At Waverly
Ellie Blake
Staff Writer
Teenagers expect teachers to have no lives outside the classroom. Teachers are supposed to go home and sit at their desk like a hermit and wait for school the next day according to high schoolers. Seeing a teacher outside of the district is the definition of a nightmare for almost every high school student. Everyone seems to go insane when a teacher is spotted at Gateway Mall or McDonald’s.
Unlike students’ opinions, however, teachers actually have lives outside of school; busy ones, too. Being a teacher involves grading homework, taking care of themselves and planning out the school days. On top of all this, some teachers have more than just their own needs on their hands.
Whining, crying, diapers, bottles, cribs, sleepless nights and onesies are added to the list of daily needs to teachers with a baby in the house.
Being a teacher while having a screaming child at home can be a tricky life to handle. Getting up earlier and pushing things aside to make time for their bouncing baby boy or girl is necessary.
“I get up early to wake Blake up and get him ready for the day. Afterwards, I make sure I have extra time to play with him in the morning before he goes to daycare,” history teacher Seth Styskal said. “In the evening, I spend a couple hours with him before we put him to bed. If I have schoolwork, I do it early in the morning or after he goes to bed.”
After doing something for a long time, most human beings get into a groove and are used to doing the same thing everyday. When a baby gets thrown into the picture, the routine gets out of whack.
Daycares are a great help, even though it means leaving a child with strangers for a day. Teachers often result in dropping their kids off because their spouse has a job of their own while they teach during the day.
Math teacher Cody Gregory had an added layer of stress since his wife is also a teacher.
“For me, it was difficult coming back to school after a week in the hospital and at home with Mallory and Roy. It was comforting to know that Roy was still at home with his mom, though. Second semester was a little harder still, because we were leaving him with strangers. He goes to the Lil’ Junction Development Center,” Cody said.
Having a baby in the house is a great experience. It brings happiness to a household. A baby’s laugh can change a terrible day to great in a second. Having a child around can take the stress out of a teacher’s day.
“The best part is watching [Roy] grow and learn about the world around him. It's so amazing every time he sees you and smiles. I love his laugh,” Cody said.
Struggles of having a baby include constantly changing diapers and sleepless nights. Raising a baby isn’t all giggles and coos, though. Some babies are easier to take care of than others. Having work plus a baby can clutter a teacher’s schedule.
“Other than being urinated on several times when he was younger, there are no major struggles to speak of,” Styskal said about his son. “Some nights he'd rather not sleep, and that can be very frustrating.”
If a new teacher has a baby, it could make taking care of the child a lot harder. Luckily, most teachers at WHS with babies are experienced.
“The first week was rough, but I am thankful we were both into our fifth year of teaching so we had our school routine down pretty well. I couldn't imagine having Roy and being a new teacher! I feel being a parent is going to make us both better in our profession, too!” FCS teacher Mallory Gregory said.
Having a baby can also make a parent realize how great life really is.
“It makes you rethink your priorities,” Gregory said.
Teaching high school students and working every day of the week is hard enough as it is. Throwing a baby into the picture can make things even more challenging for the teachers of WHS.
For the Styskal family as well as the Gregory family, this school year has been tough with the constant whining and screaming from home and at school. Watching their babies grow will hopefully make their lives a little brighter.
